Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
BOX 3.2
Practical Steps to Grow Public Knowledge and Readiness
The following are recommendations for maximizing the effectiveness of tsunami public
education, based on social science evidence (Mileti and Sorenson, 1990; Linda Bourque, UCLA,
personal communication) and lessons learned from tsunami education efforts in Hawaii (Alexandra
et al., 2009) and Oregon (Connor, 2005):
(1) Use evidence-based approaches.
(2) Brand the message and work with other information providers to eliminate inconsistent
messages.
(3) Use multiple sources, forms, dissemination channels, and settings because the public
will be more likely to prepare if they receive the same information multiple ways and
times.
(4) Focus the messages on what the public should do, how their actions can reduce their
risk, and where to seek additional information instead of only focusing on convincing
people that they are at risk.
(5) Customize education by identifying levels of knowledge of and preparedness for the
hazard, and the special needs of the intended audience (e.g., language translation), and
by incorporating personal stories of tsunami survivors to provide context.
(6) Encourage people to talk about readiness with each other and to practice protective
actions, because this dialog results in people owning ideas about what to do to get
ready and builds community capacity, which greatly facilitates taking action.
(7) Sustain education efforts because effective education is an ongoing process.
(8) Position physical and social cues around the community because people copy each
other's behavior.
(9) Designate a lead entity for the public education program, as multiple parties with differ-
ent priorities will have dificulty providing standardized, consistent messages delivered
through multiple channels.
(10) Evaluate efforts by measuring the baseline of public awareness and preparedness and
subsequent changes to determine program effectiveness and to revise efforts.
Statuses and roles
.
Factors that correlate with public hazard education effectiveness relate
to status (e.g., having higher income, education, and occupational prestige, not being either
young or old, being white, being female, and being native born) and roles (e.g., being in a part-
nership relationship, belonging to a larger family, and being responsible for children). A demo-
graphic analysis of at-risk population composition and distribution is a irst step in developing
targeted education for demographic sub-groups where education is not as effective (e.g., the
very young, low-income families, foreign-born).
